d her forehead against the cool glass of the window, watching the rain streak the city lights into abstract pain

the dim reading light, but Cinnamon noticed he hadn't turned a page in ten minutes. His refl

er eyelids felt like lead. She fought it, trying to stay alert, trying to plan h

ed. She jerke

didn'

d dipped again, lower this time. Her neck muscles gave up. She slid side

d sho

as broad and warm, cupping her cheek with a gentlenes

her upright. He

ded her head down until i

his suit, her nose filling with that scent-cedar, scotch, and him. It was the smel

sk of the cold executive fell away, revealing a raw, terrifying hunger

d slightly. He wanted to touch her. He wanted to bury his hands in her h

sound barely audible over the rain. "Why can't

s brushing through her dark cur

u

m Cinnamon's clutch on

ardened instantly. He reached int

lit up with

ademy came back flagged. 'High-level interfere

e-he knew her passcode, of course; it was his birthday, a fact she c

ted the call log to the private inve

e phone back

econd, she was disoriented, surrounded by warmth and the steady

ling back to her side of th

glasses back on, his face a mask of indifference.

, her heart racing. "Ho

e, we should discuss your credit card statement. Fiv

to look into her father's old partners. "I... I bou

ou hate Hermès. You say

nged m

ie to me, Cinnamon. You're terrible at it. And don't spend m

in my life you don'

N

Estate. The gothic mansion loomed ahead, dark and imposing

housekeeper, was waiting at the door u

ed out. "It's Miss Tiffany. She's in

he bridge of his nose. "G

ut

G

marble. But she didn't go to her room. She stopped at the landin

ary door

e's a curse, Arturo! First the brooch, now the press is dig

nace that made Cinnamon shiver. "And if you touch her again, Tiffany, I will cut

what her father did! He stole from us! And now she's going to ruin th

sed her hand

P

aking the co

paign will proceed. She is essential to both. You will learn to live wit

rs before Tiffany could storm out.

n books. He needed stability. H

ol. He was keeping her because he wa

d leaned against it, a slow sm

raid. Not for her, but for himself. If she dug too d

less anymore. S